Japanese audiophiles are installing their own utility poles for better sound

One man paid $10,000 USD to avoid "electromagnetic interference" from his neighbors

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True audiophiles will spare no expense in achieving the greatest sound quality possible. Whether it’s buying an amplifier that costs as much as a fancy car or actually switching to PONO, the quest for audio perfection can drive music fans to great lengths. But according to some Japanese aural obsessives, none of that expensive equipment is worth a dime if you don’t have your own, personal power supply.

The Wall Street Journal(via Exclaim), there’s a new trend amongst well-to-do Japanese people of outfitting their homes with personal utility poles complete with custom transformers. The idea works something like a home’s Internet speeds: If you have a bunch of people using a bunch of devices on the same WiFi network, the increase in traffic causes a decrease in speeds. By installing their own power poles, these meticulous sound purists aim to reduce the electromagnetic interference caused by neighbors’ powering appliances through the same source.

“Electricity is like blood,” explained Takeo Morita, an 82-year-old retired lawyer. “If it is tainted, the whole body will get sick. No matter how expensive the audio equipment is, it will be no good if the blood is bad.” In order to keep his music’s blood clean, Morita dropped $10,000 USD to install a 40-foot concrete power pole right in his front yard.

There’s video of Morita’s setup over at the WSJ so you can see what true sonic supremacy looks like.